• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Rovers v Dover

Ian

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Right now the knee-jerk reaction is sack Mellon. I honestly don't think the performance was as bad as some people are making out and as RLC highlights, we have real confidence issues in the final third.

I'm not saying the performance was perfect, far from it but we had good chances that were wasted.

Micky needs to address this otherwise the vultures will be circling. It'd still relatively early days so there is time but we have to be doing better.
 

Sparky

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Personally I still think it's too early for any sacking but I have my doubts whether Micky will things will turn round, and how long Palios will give him if it continues.

Many thought brabins sacking was harsh given our start to last season. MP was vindicated with our points tally but to get to the total we had when GB was sacked, I think we need to win 5 out of the next 6.

What is slightly worrying is we're dropping points to the likes of Dover, B Wood & Sutton - decent teams but surely not as strong as Daggers, Aldershot & Orient who we've not played yet.

Agree with Boz about Norwood. He acts like an idiot sometimes and can be a liability. With all our strikers, I'd much prefer to ship out mangan, Alabi and maybe Norwood and bring a goal poacher in.

If we lose next Saturday the crowd will eventually turn on the manager, altho he still has the support of the majority of fans I think.

Can Micky lift the spirits of the players this week? Maybe harsh but I do wonder if he has the personality to do it. Being Ronnie in for a week to give them a rocket !!!
 

Boz

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I disagree with Boz about the centre backs, who I thought did try to be progressive in their play, much more so than the wing backs ironically. Once aspect of the system which did work was the use of the spare man at the back to carry the ball into midfield.

I have watched the game back and while it was not a vintage performance, we had far the better chances and should not have lost it. There are real confidence issues in the final third.

How do you reconcile Sutton's reluctance to give Duggan the ball with progressive play though? Mitch hardly got a touch in the opening 30 and did well to stay in position rather than go wandering to try and get into the game. After half time, he did see more of the ball and venture forward. McEveley on the left did at least try to bring Ridehalgh into play. However there was still to my mind too much passing around amongst the back three rather than getting the ball forward and wide. Arguably this contributed to letting the Dover wing-backs settle in and adopt a mainly attacking role. I accept there were times when the back trio carried the ball up the field and provided some movement that way.

Dawson and Alabi warmed up in the non-match day squad before the game. Didn't notice Rokka, so either injured or further down the pecking order.
 

Sparky

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Rokka still isn't ready for full time football apparently. Dawson won't play again with Micky in charge and Alabi has looked hopeless.

Agree that at times there is a lot of passing out from the back. We did it last season when Hughes would drop deep. It can be frustrating as it keeps things slow and we all want to see pace and waves of attacks. Last season we couldn't complain as we were winning, but at the moment it's another thing for people to get frustrated about
 

Ian

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I'd much prefer to ship out mangan, Alabi and maybe Norwood and bring a goal poacher in.
That's certainly easier said than done at this level. Trying to attract decent players to non-league football can't be easy. Usually want you get is a player who is playing in the national league or below.

Mangan is too lightweight for me. In this league you need to put yourself about and not get bullied off the ball. Alabi is raw and certainly not ready for the style we play and I certainly wouldn't get rid of Norwood. He's going through a lean spell like them all but is one of our better players. I like his energy and determination which can sometimes land him in hot water.

We have the players here to cause damage but Micky has to get more out of them.
 
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I agree with Ian about norwood. He is a valuable player to us and the only forward we have that has the movement and energy to stretch defences. To get rid of him would be crazy in my view. Regarding mangan and alabi, your transfer business is done in the summer and managers either stand or fall by those decisions. If we wanted alternative forwards they should have been brought in then. I agree our build up play is too pedestrian but that is not just because of the centre backs. The midfield also take too many touches. In addition, wing backs should not wait to be given the ball in their own half. With the security of the extra centre back, they should get forward when we are in possession to provide width. Neither of them did this yesterday, particularly duggan.
 

Sparky

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May have not come across right but I would keep Nors but would just like a poacher too, a 6 yard box striker - there must be someone out there!
 

Boz

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Norwood gives us a different option up front, but his stupidity has already ruled him out of 3 games and he tried the referee's patience yesterday. He needs to grow up and stop acting like a petulant brat.

I'm not convinced that it makes a blind bit of difference whether Duggan is in their penalty box or the edge of ours, if he doesn't get given the ball (by Sutton). Running without the ball might have drawn Dover players to him, but could equally have left the dangerous left-wing back with a free-run. When we were kicking out, Duggan was frequently positioned around the half-way line and still didn't receive the ball. More questions need to be asked of a central defender in position than a youngster played out of position. While it won't happen, my preference would be replacing Sutton with Buxton or Gumbs for the next game, as along with failing to use Duggan, he stupidly conceded the penalty which meant we came away with nothing.

It is a shame that we've run out of budget as Josh Passley looked like a decent right-wing back at this level at this level. I'm not really persuaded Duggan or Buxton are suited to that role, yet Micky seems inclined to play with wing-backs rather than the 'natural width' talked about pre-season.
 
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Norwood gives us a different option up front, but his stupidity has already ruled him out of 3 games and he tried the referee's patience yesterday. He needs to grow up and stop acting like a petulant brat.

I'm not convinced that it makes a blind bit of difference whether Duggan is in their penalty box or the edge of ours, if he doesn't get given the ball (by Sutton). Running without the ball might have drawn Dover players to him, but could equally have left the dangerous left-wing back with a free-run. When we were kicking out, Duggan was frequently positioned around the half-way line and still didn't receive the ball. More questions need to be asked of a central defender in position than a youngster played out of position. While it won't happen, my preference would be replacing Sutton with Buxton or Gumbs for the next game, as along with failing to use Duggan, he stupidly conceded the penalty which meant we came away with nothing.

It is a shame that we've run out of budget as Josh Passley looked like a decent right-wing back at this level at this level. I'm not really persuaded Duggan or Buxton are suited to that role, yet Micky seems inclined to play with wing-backs rather than the 'natural width' talked about pre-season.
That is not how the wing back system works. When the ball goes into midfield, the wing backs should get beyond the halfway line and be in a position to receive the ball. It is not a question of the centre back directly giving the ball to the wing back. The ball should be worked through midfield to create an opening and then go out wide to the wing back. Both Duggan and Ridehalgh were too deep yesterday, as was commented on by Ronnie Moore and the summarisers on BT, as well as many of our own supporters.

Obviously when we are on the edge of our own eighteen yard box the wing backs need to be in defensive positions, but that is not what I am talking about. When we are higher up the pitch and starting an attacking move, the wing backs also need to get high up the pitch and provide the width. They did not do this yesterday.
 

Boz

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I don't think it's cast in stone that the centre-back can't give the ball to the wing-back, McEveley did so to Ridehalgh on a few occasions yesterday and it happened when Vaughan was playing in that position last season. Maybe the text-book approach is to take it through midfield though.
 
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I think Micky is safe for now. MP can't afford to sack him as it would cost too much. And who else would want the job if the budget is spent and there is no money for new players.
No, I think we should make the play-offs at least and it's too late fo someone new to do any better.
Micky will only go before the end of the season if we look likely to be relegated - and that won't happen.
The team is less than the sum of its parts at the moment, but it's a question of how soon confidence returns.
 

Sparky

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Nigel Adkins at Prenton Park today - apparently for some sort of futsal conference but you do wonder if he and MP had a chat about our current form.........
 
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